Focus vs FocusMe

Focus

• Mac users who want websites and apps blocked on a fixed schedule
• People who want a session they cannot switch off once it starts
• Parents or teachers who lock settings behind a password
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

FocusMe

• People who tend to switch off or uninstall their own blocker
• Blocking websites and desktop apps on Windows, Mac or Linux
• Buyers who want a lifetime licence instead of a subscription

Focus

• Mac only: the vendor lists no Windows, iPhone or Android version.
• There is no free plan; after the 7-day trial a license costs $49, or $129 with lifetime updates.
• The $49 Focus 2 license covers one year of major updates and three years of minor updates.
• Firefox needs the Focus add-on installed; Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera and Vivaldi work without one.

FocusMe

• Monthly and yearly prices are filled in by the payment provider when the pricing page loads; its text states only plans from $9.95 a month and $249 for lifetime.
• The US App Store lists in-app subscriptions at $3.99 and $15.99 a month and $24.99 and $119.99 a year, without saying what each one covers.
• The desktop apps have no free tier once the 14-day trial ends; only the Android and iOS apps can be used without paying.
• On Android, uninstall protection exists only in the direct-download version, not the Play Store one, and plan sync for Android is still in development.

Focus

Website blocking

Blocks chosen websites in the popular Mac browsers, or blocks the whole internet apart from an allow list. Rules can also target specific pages and words.

App blocking

Hides a blocked Mac app and, if it keeps reappearing, closes or force quits it. Apps and sites can be added by dragging them onto the menu bar icon.

Timers and Pomodoro mode

Built-in timers, including a Pomodoro mode with a chosen number of work rounds, pair blocking with planned breaks.

Schedules

Daily, weekly or weekend schedules start blocking at set times without any action from you, and schedules can run overnight.

Locked Mode and password locks

A locked session or schedule cannot be stopped until it ends, even after quitting the app or restarting the Mac. Profiles can be locked behind a password.

Statistics and scripting

Tracks focused time by day, week, month and year for each profile. Workflows run Bash scripts when a session or break starts or ends, alongside URL handlers and AppleScript.

FocusMe

Website and app blocking

Block sites by URL, partial URL, page title or RegEx across all browsers, and any desktop app or game. Short-form video such as YouTube Shorts can be blocked while the rest of a site stays open.

Enforced Mode and plan protection

An enforced plan cannot be stopped once it is active. Lighter settings include typing a string of random characters, stop delays, pause limits and approval from an accountability partner.

Block, limit or break plans

Each plan can fully block its targets, give them a daily, weekly or monthly time budget, cap how many times a day they can be launched, or enforce full-screen breaks.

Schedules and Pomodoro cycles

A plan can run from an on-demand Quick Timer, a weekly schedule, Pomodoro work and break cycles, or a multi-day plan.

AI Productivity Coach

Weekly reports compare your screen time with your tasks and goals and recommend changes. Turning Coach on sends the names of the sites and apps you used, with times, to the service.

Built-in task manager

Tasks have priorities, due dates, categories, recurrence and streaks, and the Coach reads the list when it writes its reports.

Focus

• Focus 1$29

  one-time purchase

  The original version with core blocking features, still sold on the checkout page as an older release.

• Focus 2$49

  one-time purchase

  Website and app blocking, schedules, timers and Pomodoro, locked sessions, profiles, password locks, statistics and scripting, with a year of free updates.

• Lifetime$129

  one-time purchase

  Everything in Focus 2, plus early access to new versions and lifetime updates.

• Bulk licensesCustom

  Special pricing for teams and organizations, by custom quote from the vendor.

FocusMe

• Mobile apps$0

  Android and iOS apps are free to download; blocking, schedules and time limits work without paying. Syncing plans with a computer needs Premium.

• Monthly or YearlyFrom $9.95

  per month; per-plan amounts are filled in at page load

  All features on up to 5 computers plus 2 phones or tablets. The page title gives plans from $9.95 a month; the exact monthly and yearly amounts could not be read.

• Lifetime$249

  one-time

  Pay once for the same features with free updates. The vendor defines lifetime as for as long as the product exists.

Focus

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime license with every future update

  The Lifetime license is a one-time $129 payment that adds lifetime updates and early access to new versions; the $49 Focus 2 license includes one year of free updates.

• Other savings

  Bulk pricing for teams and organizations

  The checkout page's FAQ says Focus offers special pricing for teams and organizations and asks them to get in touch for a custom quote.

FocusMe

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime licence for a one-time $249

  The pricing page lists a Lifetime plan at $249, paid once, with free updates. FocusMe defines lifetime access as lasting for as long as the product exists.

• Education

  30% off for students and educators

  FocusMe offers a 30% educational discount to students and people who work in education, requested through a form with an educational email address.